My car, a '90 TII w/ streetport w/ 550cc primaries and 1000cc secondaries, and an unknown compressor upgrade on the turbo...

I just put in my rebuild and am having a hard time getting the car started. It floods really badly, but I've gotten it to start 2 times. Once, my friend told me to hold the throttle down while he pinched the "In" fuel line. My clamp holding the AFM to the TID was missing, so the AFM fell off from the vibrations, which caused the engine to die. Then the next time, we did the same thing, and had the AFM clamp on. It started again, but I still had a vacuum leak and found the line going to my WG was not hooked up to the nipple off the turbo. Well I hooked that up, and unflooded the engine and cleaned the plugs again. This time, we got a van to pull it up to about 10-15mph and tried pop starting it. Didn't work after 2-3 tries, and the car was just waaayyy too flooded to continue trying.

This whole time we were trying to start it, my foot was on the throttle. I'm wondering if it matters if my foot is on or off the throttle while I'm cranking. My friend has always started rebuilds by flooring it and pinching the fuel "In" line... He says its wierd that my car won't start that way... He also says that it's probably because of my 1000cc secondaries, but I thought those don't come online until around 3800 RPMs?

Is there a problem with our trying to start it by holding the throttle down and pinching the fuel line? Do I need to pick up more speed on the pop start? I seem to have very strong spark and all... just a little too much fuel...?

BTW, the CAS is very accurate as I've pulled it several times and made sure to stab it back in right on-target...

 

Wow, sounds almost exactly like what was happening to me when I tried firing up the new engine. It kept flooding and didnt wanna start the first time. We also tried pinching the fuel line. Staying full throttle on the accelerator actually does work and I have to do it even now.

What evantually got it going the first time though was we had to create a controlled vacuum leak to offset the fuel. So my friend pulled the line the BOV was on (aftermarket unit) while I cranked at full throttle and it started and immediately put the BOV back on.

Starting was a bit difficult intially but I guess as the engine ran more and the seals expanded(?) a bit, startup is now much easier.

 

well, you can always recheck for vac leaks, gonna be a bit hard if it doesn't start. The secondary's might fire under cranking, but I'm not positive. You're going to want to get it around 3,000rpm while being pushed/pulled and see if it'll go then, if not I'd get those injectors out of there just to see if it does any better. Holding the pedal to the floor just kills the fuel pump so it doesn't continue pumping gas into your poor flooded engine.

 

Ok, so I should continue trying to crank it while flooring the throttle? How do you make a "controlled" vacuum leak? Right now, I am positive I don't have any vacuum leaks. I've had the rats nest removed for awhile, and just recently re-routed the 4 vacuum lines I had left.

Can anyone confirm if the secondaries inject any fuel when I'm cranking? Could this be a problem of the stock fuel pressure regulator?

I have 4 extra stock injectors, but don't know what condition they are in... so I really don't want to have to put them in... But I will if someone confirms whether the secondaries inject fuel while cranking...

 

Bump

 

well flooring the car on a 89-91 cuts off the fuel pump. so with it floored pretty much no fuel is flowing... pinching the in is pretty useless at that point.

maybe he's used to doing S4's? does he know about the fuel pump shut off thing?

you might not have enough fuel flowing if you are leaving it floored.


2nd, change the plugs. cleaning off doesn't work. get brand new ones. but first crank it over with no plugs in. (egi fuse pulled) to get any gas out.

 

Yes, my friend has only worked with S4 13B's for the past 8 years or so... lol

If I might not have enough fuel flowing with it floored, should I just continue to try cranking without touching the throttle? I guess it's either crank with it floored, or crank without touching huh?

Hmm, cleaning doesn't work? I have a new set of spark plugs waiting to be put in once my car runs normal... I've already pulled the EGI several times and cranked with the plugs out. Then put in wire brush cleaned spark plugs... Will putting in my brand new spark plugs really help that much more? So if the engine becomes flooded again, then I'll need to continue buying new spark plugs?

BTW, thanks for helping you guys!

 

Yea in the middle of my fight to get it to turn over, I had to replace plugs cause I guess the ones I had in there crapped out. Started shortly afterwards.

 

Ok, I have new plugs, but can anyone still give me a definite answer to this...

"if the secondaries inject any fuel when I'm cranking?" If it does, then I guess I should just put on the stock 550's in first until after it starts every time...?

 

Use partial throttle when starting this model. The secondaries do NOT inject fuel on startup, so dont worry about that.

If you flood this thing later on, crank with the pedal floored for about 5 seconds. Then release, and it should catch and run. Simple as that. S5's usually dont flood badly at all, if you know how to operate the gas pedal.

 

Thanks hypntyz7... I'll see how it goes